Climate, Terroir and Wine: What Matters Most in Producing a Great Wine?

Alexandria, VA — What goes into a great wine and what role does geology play? Wine experts use the word terroir to describe the myriad environmental influences, including climate, that go into growing winegrapes. Climate is arguably the most influential factor and it produces the most identifiable differences among wines. So how is climate change affecting wines globally? And how do other factors, such as the bedrock below the vineyard and the soil, produce subtle expressions of terroir?

Increasingly, geoscientists have been asked to help identify the most important aspects of terroir and help define the boundaries between nature and nurture. Climatologist and viticulturalist Greg Jones discusses the complexity of nature’s effects on wine and the latest scientific research in the January issue of EARTH Magazine. For more geoscience news, including a story on how environmental changes may have caused Late Bronze Age crisis, a discussion about legal issues in hazards research, and a tidbit on how to map auroras on the cheap, buy the full issue or subscribe at www.earthmagazine.org.